


The Trouble with Maps

by memorizingthedigitsofpi



Series: June Fic-A-Day Challenge [24]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen, amazing story generator, fic a day challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 09:33:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4216614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memorizingthedigitsofpi/pseuds/memorizingthedigitsofpi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coulson is proud of his orienteering skills but May is less than impressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trouble with Maps

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Madalayna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madalayna/gifts).



> The 25th fic in my [Amazing Story Generator, Fic-A-Day challenge](http://memorizingthedigitsofpi.tumblr.com/post/120419056932/ive-been-thinking-for-a-while-that-id-like-to) for June. If you want to, you can send me a prompt of three numbers between 1 and 60.
> 
> Numbers: 10, 23, 34  
> Prompt: Hoping to impress an old flame, a world-weary intelligence agent stumbles upon the fountain of youth.

"Alright," Coulson said with a show of confidence. "We go _this_ way." He pointed into a seemingly random patch of jungle and nodded firmly.

May raised one eyebrow but didn't move.

"C'mon," he urged her. "Let's go!"

She shifted her weight from her right foot to her left and crossed her arms.

"What?" he asked, innocently shrugging his shoulders.

She raised the other eyebrow to join the first, tilting her head slightly and tightening her jaw.

Coulson wiped his arm across his forehead, uselessly. He was covered in sweat and that wasn't going to change until after they'd met their contact and secured the 0-8-4. He breathed a bit heavily and wondered again how May could stand there in her tactical black and barely be glistening.

"Don't you sweat?" he asked incredulously.

May rolled her eyes and reached down for her pack. Slinging it over her shoulder she glared at him. "Fine," she agreed. "We'll go this way." She started trudging off into the thick jungle.

"I don't get it," he continued, lumbering after her. "Did you have your sweat glands removed, or...?" He left it hanging in the hopes of prompting an answer.

May paused for a moment to turn and give him an eloquent look. Then she turned back and ripped her machete through the long grass with much more force than necessary.

"Look," he tried again, using his most conciliatory tone. "I'm sorry about the map, but--"

"No buts!" May turned, pointing at him with her machete.

Coulson stopped short, staring at the blade mere inches from his nose. "Careful there, May," he began.

"Like you were careful with the _map_?" she asked pointedly. Turning her back to him once more, she continued to cut their trail.

Phil spread his hands helplessly. "What did you want me to do?" he asked. "Fight a monkey?"

"Yes," May replied, not bothering to turn around.

"It climbed a tree!"

"You've got a gun."

"I'm telling Fitz you wanted me to _shoot_ a monkey."

" _I'm_ telling Fitz you let a monkey steal his prototype 3D-imaging map system."

They continued trudging in silence for several minutes.

"Well played," Coulson finally admitted.

"I know," May agreed."

"Still, we can't be _that_ far from--" He stopped short at the edge of a sudden clearing. In the middle was an ancient stone well full of almost green-looking water. The well-worn face of some god or idol was continually spitting the brackish liquid back into the pool at its base. Sitting in front of it was a young woman of about 16. 

"Agent Coulson! Agent May!" she said, standing up quickly. "I was starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost."

May rolled her eyes over to Coulson and gave him a saccharine smile.

He had the decency to look slightly abashed. "Temporarily waylaid," he offered in compromise. "There was a monkey," he said, as if that would explain things.

Their contact shifted her eyes from one of them to the other and back. "Right," she nodded, finally deciding she didn't need the details.

May dropped her pack onto the ground next to her and started pulling out equipment.

"What are you doing?" asked the girl.

"Calling our team," May said matter-of-factly.

"Why?" she asked, nervously.

May gave her a flat look. "Because either you're the youngest Lieutenant-Commander I've ever seen," she said, flipping the switch to turn on the beacons. "Or that," she pointed to the well, "Is the Fountain of Youth."


End file.
